Internet access has advanced from the early dialup system to take advantage of improving wired and wireless technologies. High capacity data networks are currently offered over cable, fiber connections, and wireless networks. For example, cellular systems operate 3G and 4G networks that utilize new and efficient protocols, such as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) and Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN) among others to provide increasing bandwidth and coverage.
These improvements in throughput are, however, being matched by increasing demand for services such as audio and video streaming, Internet protocol (IP) television, and games that use the IP to provide significant volumes of data at the highest rates possible. The current standards for multimedia streaming, such as Microsoft Adaptive/Smooth streaming and Apple's HTTP Live Streaming, require additional power and bandwidth for each stream.
The challenge for IP service providers is to deliver as many services and to support as many customers as possible at a competitive price. The price to the subscriber of an IP service is directly related to the investment in infrastructure needed to provide a satisfactory and competitive service.
Wired network access devices may be configured to access bandwidth that is provided by the wired service provider and wireless bandwidth that is provided by a wireless service provider or that is more generally accessible and relatively inexpensive or free (a wired device with this capability may be referred to herein as a “wired multi-network device”). Wireless devices are increasingly able to access bandwidth that is provided by the wireless service provider and other wireless bandwidth that is relatively inexpensive or free (a wireless device with this capability may be referred to herein as a “wireless multi-network device”).
The most prevalent protocol currently used to provide the non-service provider wireless connectivity is “WiFi.” A multi-network device (wired or wireless) may communicate over one or more service provider networks (wired or wireless) and over wireless access points that may be located in homes, offices or at so-called “hotspots.” When connecting to an access point, the multi-network device is in an “infrastructure mode.”
Multi-network devices may also have the ability to communicate directly with each other or with a group of devices. This mode of communication is referred to as “ad-hoc” or “peer-to-peer” mode. For example, a group of WiFi devices may form a “mesh” network or a “peer-to-peer” network. In this mode, there is no master base station or access point.
For wireless multi-network devices, the WiFi capability provides an alternative network connection when the device is near a WiFi access point (AP) to off-load the mobile network traffic from the relatively more expensive wireless service provider network. However, the off-loading of network traffic from the wireless service provider does little to improve the overall throughput of the service provider network in the face of demands for large data files.